You are biased when you want one candidate to do better than the other in a political debate. Ninety minutes later you feel great, sad, or have
mixed emotions. My assessment was different from what I had hoped for. But the bias
remains. It’s like a boxing match, you start counting jabs and counter punches
hoping that your favorite will land the knockout punch.
The debate between the vice presidential candidates last week was a highly hyped event. There had been one debate between presidential candidates. The media had told us this would be the last big event before the election. Forty-three million folks tuned in. For the most part, it was a sleeper. Unlike the presidential debate which was loaded with personal name-calling and personality-driven answers, the VP candidates were reasonably friendly and policy-driven.
It turns out that J.D. Vance’s friendliness was a deliberate strategy to throw genial Tim Walz off his game. It worked for the most part. There is no question that Vance won the style points. His elite school education and schmalz came through. He wasn’t the nasty grenade thrower he tends to be on the campaign trail.
Vance can make the most egregious mistruth seem true. He is good at it. He even admitted that he made up the story about Haitians eating dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio. It is such a good lie that it is a mainstay of the MEGA movement’s campaign rhetoric.
At one point in the debate, when he espoused a fairly obvious lie, one of the moderators fact-checked him. His response was telling: “Margaret, the rules were that you were not going to fact check …” Sometimes a few words tell volumes!
People are more likely to believe a giant lie than a little one. They wouldn’t tell a major untruth, so they don’t question the big one even if data proves it's wrong. It’s a classic political ploy used by authoritarians across the world. You can read about the idea in Mein Kampf.
Saul Alinsky, the radical activist of the ‘sixties published Rules for Radicals in 1971 that included “Ridicule is a man’s most potent weapon. There is no defense. It is almost impossible to counterattack ridicule. Also, it infuriates the opposition, who then react to your advantage.” J.D. is good at it, almost as good at it as his dear leader. Oddly, these two reactionaries are experts in the methods of radicals.
Immigration is a major issue in this election. The MAGA movement seems to have the upper hand for now, to a great degree because of the misinformation they broadcast each day creating a fear among a segment of the population that white domination of the nation is ebbing. It is a continuing effort to divide us.
On Nelson Mandela’s first state visit to the U.S., President Clinton welcomed him by saying, “Every day, you teach the world that those who build triumph over those who tear down; that those who unite can actually prevail over those who would divide … We know, and you know, that diversity and progress can go hand-in-hand. Indeed, that they must do so if we are to give all our people the chance to fulfill their God-given potential.” We could learn from the work of Mr. Mandela! After years in prison for his views about apartheid, he revolutionized the culture of his country and brought it into the democratic world.
President Biden won the 2020 Electoral College vote and was inaugurated President. Former President Trump still litigates his loss at nearly every campaign stop or rally. Even his staunch surrogates admit Biden won but they won’t say that Trump lost.
In the VP debate, Tim Walz asked J.D. Vance directly if Trump lost the 2020 election. Vance responded that he was focused on the future, not the past. To which Walz said that “That was a damning non-answer.”
Sometimes a few words tell volumes!
Most people don’t make their electoral choice based on the vice presidential debate or even on the vice presidential candidate. They make their choice based on the presidential candidates; policy is important, and character is more important. Support for the rule of law is important. Willingness to stand by the oath to support and defend the Constitution is a must.
Our vote will tell volumes about us!
Sometimes a few words tell volumes!
